It’d been a very long time since I’d wanted to see a film again, right after I finished laying eyes upon it. Great films manage to resonate with you, whether it’s because of the characters, the dialog or the setting that manages to captivate and encapsulate everything that you love about film. While I’ve been a huge fan of both comics and comic book films, nothing could prepare me for Guardians of the Galaxy. I was scared when they had announced the film back in 2012, I wasn’t sure how the cosmic side of Marvel would be able to translate into their cinematic universe. While its been two years of wondering, you can lay all of those fears to rest, for Guardians of the Galaxy can be claimed as Marvel’s answer toStar Wars, as it is one of the most thrilling, sci-fi films ever to be crafted, as well as one of the strongest Marvel Studios films, since the first Iron Man.

Helmed by director James Gunn (Super, Slither), Guardians of the Galaxy follows Peter Quill, abducted by aliens as a young boy, who has learned to defend himself in the far reaches of space. When Ronan The Accuser (Lee Pace) is trying his best to capture Quill, who has managed to obtain an ancient orb, which contains a lethal power within, Quill manages to team up with a rag-tag group of characters in order to evade the evil alien. Upon releasing such power, Quill, along with the likes of Rocket (Bradley Cooper), a genetically modified raccoon, Gamora (Zoe Saldana), an alien assassin, Groot (Vin Diesel), a giant tree and Drax (Dave Bautista), an alien dead bent revenge, try to find a way to collectively save the universe. While it certainly has an absurd cast, Guardians of the Galaxy manages to find plenty of heart and heroism in its unlikely heroes.

The script work done by Gunn and Nicole Perlman make Guardians one of the tightest movies that exists in the Marvel franchise. character stakes and pay-offs for every single one of the Guardians, that pays off in the final act of the film. The fact that every single character, both minor and major, are given the chance to shine, makes Guardians of the Galaxy feel like a proper space opera and sets it apart from something like Thor or Captain America. As laser beams fly past and spaceships whizz by, at every given moment, Gunn and Perlman give us multiple reasons to care about the actions and situations that are happening in this universe.

All of the casting was spot on, from Pratt’s “Star-Lord” to Pace’s overly dramatic rendition of Ronan the Accuser, every single cast member just makes these characters come to life. Even in the small moments, when the film switches from a moment of despair to a tender moment of comedy, every single one of the cast members brings these aliens to life. While there are a few wasted opportunities with the cast, mainly with the brief appearances of John C. Reilly and Glenn Close, the film still manages to captivate with its minor characters, specifically Micheal Rooker’s Yondu and Karen Gillan’s Nebula.

While it presents itself as a major, summer popcorn movie, Guardians of the Galaxy, has some of the most well defined characters and story than most films ever try to have in their running time. Its been a few days since I’ve seen the film, but every time I think about the interactions between Rocket and Groot, “Star-Lord’s” quips or the antics of any of the Guardians, I just begin to smile. Guardians of the Galaxy is Marvel Studios’ rendition of Star Wars, an epic sci-fi film, that will manage to inspire and invigorate any of those that bear witness.

Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy comes highly f***ing recommended by yours truly, and if you missed it during its theatrical run, you can catch it now on Digital HD. More importantly, though, Guardians at lastmakes its way to home video with Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack, Blu-ray and On-Demand releases on December 9th, 2014 from Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment. The Blu-ray release packages the film along with a host of bonus features, including Never-Before-Seen Deleted Scenes, Making-of Featurettes, an Exclusive Look at Marvel’s The Avengers: Age of Ultron, Gag Reel, and Audio Commentary.

is a graduate from Columbia College Chicago with a degree in Audio for Visual Media. He works as a freelance location sound mixer, boom operator, sound designer, and writer in his native Chicago. He's an avid collector of films, comics, and anime.